Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2
Volkswagen T-Cross S trim looks temptingly priced but, as you’ll see in the equipment section below, leaves you wanting for toys. On the other hand, SEL and R-Line trims make little sense, because, if you have that much money to spend, the Volkswagen T-Roc is a better buy.
However, the 1.0 TSI 95 SE offers the best value for money, and it's cheaper than the entry-level Ford Puma. It's not quite as frugal or as low on CO2 emissions, mind, but it still proved really efficient in our real-world True MPG tests and emits less CO2 than even the diesel T-Cross.
Active trim concentrates on additional comfort features over SE, and includes heated seats, front and rear parking sensors, extended ambient cabin lighting and tinted rear windows. Black Edition is more style-focussed and adds black door mirrors, LED headlights, sports seats, tinted rear windows, and front and rear parking sensors. SEL adds further creature comforts, including dual-zone climate control, but the hike in price is too great. Steer clear of R-Line, too; it’s expensive and mainly adds styling fripperies.
Reliability
The T-Cross came a rather disappointing 16th out of 19 small SUVs rated in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, while Volkswagen as a brand finished a similarly underwhelming 20th out of 30 manufacturers. Skoda did much better than that, with Seat slightly ahead too, while Peugeot and Ford fared worse.
